Spellweaver by Lynn Kurland
Lynn Kurland definitely has a knack for writing romantic fantasy that still appeals to the average epic fantasy fan. Sure, no man is probably going to pick up and enjoy (or at least admit to enjoying) her Nine Kingdoms series, but women fantasy fans who shun romance will find Spellweaver a delightful addition to their library.
Spellweaver picks up right where A Tapestry of Spells left off. However, Sarah starts to hold Ruith at bay now that she knows who he truly is. Ruith does not help his case much by pretending to hate her so his enemies do not attack her — but he does not bother to explain this to Sarah. After a rocky start, they find themselves at the school of wizardry as Ruith attempts to bargain for a set of spells from an old friend. It is here that some questions start to arise about Sarah’s true origin —something she does not even know herself. As the pair continues on their quest to find Ruith’s evil father’s spells, they must work together if either of them is to survive.
While Spellweaver starts off a little slower than A Tapestry of Spells, it still displays Kurland’s finesse at world-building and telling a story. The two main characters become even more endearing as the backstories for both of them are fleshed out (there is even mention of Ruith’s long-lost sister whose tale is told in the first trilogy arc). The new characters that are introduced are just as delightful and quirky or cunning and evil as those from the first. And while the direction of their journey has changed, the two are still on a quest, a staple of epic fantasy.
Spellweaver is an excellent addition to Lynn Kurland’s Nine Kingdoms universe, and it ends with the perfect cliffhanger so the reader is left dying to know what happens to Ruith and Sarah.
Book Stats:
- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Berkley Trade (January 4, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0425238636
- ASIN: B0053U7EZG
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Books in the Nine Kingdoms series in the order they should be read:
Star of the Morning
The Mage’s Daughter
Princess of the Sword
A Tapestry of Spells
Spellweaver
Gift of Magic
i have been following this book series from the beginning (a friend of mine got me into it because she know i like paranormal tales). Basically the series is the story of the children whose parents had been friends but had separated because of an event that caused great changes in the world. Each main character has to match up with their partner to make the other complete in power. When they all get matched up the fate of the world will be decided hopefully for the better. As each book follows from the first, you have to read them in the sequence to see the pattern, the characters all seem to belong together to work their magic the best. My main complaint has been the length of time between each book because of the cliff hanging at each end. And there is more to come
Thank you for the review. I won’t be buying this book.
I haven’t come across this series before, but I’m always up for a good epic fantasy story. Might have to give it a try!
Thanks for the rec!
Smiles!
Lori